Expat and travel blog featuring stories on living overseas destinations, as well as some stuff on the expat blogosphere too.

07/09/2013

Kuwait and expats: a changing reality

Kuwait, that tiny country between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, may not have the same draw for expats as Dubai, but it has for a very long tome been home to people of various nations across the world.

In terms of the number of non Kuwaiti residents, the figures vary depending on where you look, so anywhere between around a half and two-thirds of the population are foreigners. Compare this with the UAE, whose populatuion is approximately nine-tenths non- Emirati.

Lately, Kuwait has been aiming to reduce the number of non0nationals who reside there, perhaps to ensure that in future there are maximum employment opportunities for nationals.

Described by the Telegraph as an "anti-foreigner stance", the country's various actions have included upwards of 1000 deportations in relation to traffic offences reported as 'minor' as well as restrictions on who can drive on the country's roads, and restricting times that foreigners can be seen at Jahra Hospital (the city's main facility).

Also according to the telegraph's report, Kuwait has dropped position on the World Economic Forum’s list of rankings for the friendliness of countries towards tourists and visitors. "The Emirate now stands at 137th out of 140 countries", says the report.

However, despite the country's stated aim of reducing the number of non-nationals, there are still going to be a fair amount of non-nationals in Kuwait for a while yet. And there may also be job opportunities for expats for some time to come, specially for people who have in-demand skills.

As always, if you're travelling to Kuwait, make sure you have the right type of insurance, since as the FCE states "fees are expensive". Providers can offer a range of different levels of cover, meaning that you can suit your requirements and budget.